Farm & Ranch
Meanwhile back at the ranch…
By Rayford Pullen
Fall will be arriving shortly, and as cattle producers we all have to make decisions regarding our winter pastures, weaning our spring born calves, retaining ownership or not of weaned calves, deciding what our winter feeding program will be in the next couple of months or so, and so on and so forth.
If this fall is as wonderful as our past winter, spring and fall, at least here in North Central Texas, it should be great if we are planning on having fall and winter pastures.
I have made several observations when planting fall pastures over the years, but one thing is for sure, our fall success or failure will most certainly, in a large extent, be determined by the rainfall and weather.
Here are a few things you can do that will also influence your chances of having a better crop.
When overseeding established pastures such as bermuda grass, the shorter the better. Plants do not grow very well in the shade and five or six-inch grass looks like a forest to a small seed. What can you do? Graze or cut the grass as short as possible. I even like to keep the cattle on the pasture after I plant and until it does rain to keep it short. To read more pick up a copy of the September 2016 NTFR issue.
By Barry Whitworth, DVM, MPH
With the prolonged drought, most pastures in Oklahoma end up in poor condition. With the lack of available forage, animals may go in search of alternative foods.
If oak trees are in the pastures, acorns may be a favorite meal for some livestock in the fall. This may result in oak poisoning.
Oak leaves, twigs, buds, and acorns may be toxic to some animals when consumed.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By: Tony Dean
There are a handful of grasses on North Texas grazing lands ranchers need to know, not because they are highly desirable, but rather because they are not of much value. I call them “decom” plants, which is am acronym for “Don’t Ever Count On Me.” Silver bluestem is a “decom” grass.
Silver bluestem is a perennial which grows in all areas of Texas. It can survive in almost all soil types, and in full sun conditions or in semi shade. It grows up to three feet tall and is easily recognized with the presence of the white fuzzy seed head. Also, one of the identifying characteristics of Silver bluestem is a bend in the stems at each node, causing the plants to take on a rounded shape as they mature.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By: Rayford Pullen
Fall is here which means winter is closing in on us and before we officially get into winter, we need to make sure our factories are either producing or will be producing in a few months.
We have been pregnancy testing our cows this fall and if they are not bred or nursing a calf, we are bidding them adios. With annual costs somewhere between $900.00 and $1,000.00 per cow, those cows not producing a live weaned calf are costing us quite a bit.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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